Hair loss is inevitable. Over time, the hair will accumulate in your shower drain, clogging it. Besides hair loss, your drain could get clogged when someone in your household shaves. That means that you can’t escape such a scenario. But whenever that happens in your home, you don’t necessarily need to call for a plumber to get the job done.
So, are you wondering how to dissolve hair in the shower drain by yourself? Well, you’ll be glad to know that there are several effective methods to help you accomplish that. You can use chemicals, although that’s not so advisable because they pollute the environment, and could end up damaging your plumbing. Alternatively, you could use baking soda and vinegar, salt and water, a drain claw, or a hanger.
Read on to find out how to deal with hair problems in your drain using each of these methods.
Why does hair clog your drain?
Hair getting stuck in your drain is a common occurrence. However, you might not know the exact reason as to why it clogs your drain. The truth is, hair getting stuck in your drain is not such a big issue. So, why does it cause blockages if it isn’t such a big problem? Well, it’s because hair creates a suitable condition inside your shower drain for other particles to accumulate, blocking the drain.
Some of the particles that mostly gather to cause clogging in your drain include tiny particles from your clothes, dust and dirt, and particles from your skin. There is no need to panic when this happens because you can unclog your drain easily. I’ll show you how each method works seamlessly to dissolve hair in the shower drain.
Dissolving hair in your drain using chemicals
One of the most effective ways that could help you dissolve hair in your shower drain is by using chemicals. However, as I’d mentioned before, this may not be the best method because they could affect the longevity of your plumbing. Besides, there are plenty of commercial drain cleaners out there, and you have to ensure that you get the one that’ll do the job right.
To get rid of the hair in your shower drain, you’ll need the right commercial drain cleaner, a wet vacuum, and rubber gloves. First, you need to protect yourself using the rubber gloves before you begin the cleanup process. The gloves will ensure that you don’t get burnt by the chemicals.
Afterward, you need to use your wet vacuum to suck the liquid from your shower drain. When your drain is dry, the chemical cleaner will do its work more effectively.
Next, pour the chemicals in your dry drain to commence the dissolving process. Here, you should ensure to put in the right amount of cleaner, based on the brand you use. You’ll mostly find the cleaning instructions on the cleaner’s label and or product description.
After that, you should leave the drain for a couple of hours, and then rinse with water. By doing so, you ensure any hair and dirt inside your shower drain gets removed completely.
Use baking soda and vinegar
If you’re not up for using chemicals to dissolve hair in the shower drain, then you could use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. These are basic stuff inside your household; therefore, you shouldn’t have a hard time using these home remedies.
How do you go about this? First, pour a cup of baking soda down your clogged shower drain, then leave it for a couple of minutes. Next, add a cup of vinegar and leave the mixture for a few hours to let the dissolving process be effective. The hair blockage in your drain will be removed, but that’s not all you need to do. You also need to rinse your drain with boiling water. I recommend using about three cups of boiling water.
Use baking soda, salt, and water
Alternatively, you can dissolve hair in the shower drain using a mixture of baking soda and salt, and water. To start, you’ll need to mix a ½ cup of baking soda with a ½ cup of salt inside a container. After that, you need to pour this mixture inside your clogged drain and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
Later on, pour about six cups of boiling water inside the clogged drain. It will wash away the salt and baking soda mixture while cleaning everything along its path. Afterward, you should rinse the drain with some cold water to ensure that all the hair gets eliminated.
Use a hanger
Apart from using a hanger to hang your clothes, you could also use it to remove hair from your shower drain. First, you need to straighten the wire, but the front part should have a hook. Next, insert it inside your drain, while twisting it to attach every strand of hair in the drain. Now, pull the hanger out to remove the hair from your drain.
Use a drain claw
Also, you can use a drain claw to sort out clogged hair inside your shower drain. It is an effective tool that you will use in such a situation conveniently. And here’s how you go about it. Insert the drain claw inside your shower drain until you reach the end of the drain claw.
Next, twist the claw as you pull it out gradually. By doing so, you’ll manage to remove hair inside your drain, along with any debris inside it. You can repeat the process severally to ensure you get rid of the unwanted items.
Final word
Keeping your shower drain clean is pretty important. However, debris and hair are bound to accumulate over time. Fortunately, I’ve found several ways on how to dissolve hair in the shower drain. You can choose from any of those I have listed above, based on your preferences. Besides, they are all DIY projects, and quite easy to carry out.
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ABOUT LEON SMITH
Leon is a Thirty-something-year-old blogger from Mauritius who is currently studying for a Master’s degree in chemical and processing Engineering at the University of Eldoret in Kenya. Read more about him.
